Smoking rebuild engine

Like a good wine, vintage Rovers need appreciating
TonyG
Posts: 288
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2015 4:38 pm

Re: Smoking rebuild engine

Post by TonyG » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:04 am

Stef,

Luli has a good point there. It would be unusual for a head gasket to fail in such a way that all six cylinders leak the same with no resulting oil and water cross contamination. Also, when my 12 engine was rebuilt in 1982 the engineering firm supplied us with two cans of straight 40 Castrol oil to use for running in. As it turned out I used 20/50, which is still thicker than you have used and continues to operate well in both my cars. You also need to use a mineral oil rather than synthetic.

Tony.

Stef, your post arrived while I was writing mine. I didn’t understand what you meant about oil control rings on your engine compared to my picture. I’d have thought they should be the same, however I have just looked at a piston from another engine of same year and see that it has split skirt and all four rings above gudgeon pin with both oil control of same type so I am not certain it matters. Maybe you should check with engine builders who did work? No guarantee they knew for certain which order to fit rings if it was an old item that was used.

Think it would be worth putting in different oil to see effect before stripping down engine. It is the cheapest and easiest option.

Tell us more about your Speed 14. Is it a Tourer, Saloon or Streamline. Whichever, it sounds like an interesting car.

Tony.
Tony Gilbert

P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport

TonyG
Posts: 288
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2015 4:38 pm

Re: Smoking rebuild engine

Post by TonyG » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:15 am

Stef,

I would have thought your rings should be fitted exactly the same as in my picture. My piston was taken from my ‘Speed’ 12 engine and had been working well in the car for 30 years at least. However, I have just looked at a split skirt piston from another 12 engine and it has all rings above gudgeon pin and both oil control are the same type. Suggest you check with engine builders, given problem you have. However, before that, changing to thicker oil would be cheap and simple to rule out this possibility.

Also, please tell us more about your Speed 14. Is it a Saloon, Tourer or Streamline? Sounds interesting.

Tony.
Tony Gilbert

P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport

RobHomewood
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:04 pm

Re: Smoking rebuild engine

Post by RobHomewood » Mon Jul 27, 2020 4:49 pm

Thanks Tony for your info on the oil pressure gauge/breather tube. I should really have been able to work that one out but I couldnt for the moment even think where the oil pressure pipe is taken off. And thanks for your reassuring words on the sooty deposits from the exhaust. Maybe I should relax about it a bit more but it does make a mess!
Rob

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